Tip-up signal for fishing rods



J. v. sAvlsKAs 3,221,705 I TIP-UP SIGNAL FOR FISHING RODS Filed April 5,1965 ATTORN EY United States Patent Ofi 3,221,705 TIP-UP SIGNAL FORFISHING RODS Julius V. Saviskas, 62 Granite St., Worcester, Mass. FiledApr. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 445,640 5 Claims. (Cl. 116-132) This inventionrelates to a new and improved tip-up signal for fishing rods andcomprises a very inexpensive but eicient tip-up signal device for directmounting on a shaft of a fishing rod and including a channel-shapedmember having a bracket, the bracket being detachably mounted on the rodand the U-shaped member containing adjacent an end thereof a pivot pinon which is mounted a spring-pressed ilagstaff having a flag or the likeon it acting as the signal. Adjacent the other end it is provided with atipping or trigger member which has a position wherein it can overliethe agstal when the flagstaff is down and under tension by its spring,which normally urges it to pivot in an upward direction out of thechannel; in combination with new and improved means for attaching thelishing line to the trigger member quickly and easily in a way that itcan be instantly detached if so desired, the shing line actuating thetrigger when the sh pulls on it to release the staff so that it pops up.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which: v

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the construction and operationof the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof.

In illustrating this invention, the reference numeral indicates theshaft of any kind of ordinary fishing rod which may have a usual handleand reel for the line, these being of any well known description.

The reference numeral 12 indicates an elongated channel member which hassecured at its under surface a pair of plates 13 and 14 forming betweenthem a clamp tightened by a screw and wing nut generally indicated at 15so that the channel is mounted on the fishing rod shaft substantiallyparallel thereto with the channel being open in an upward direction.

At the rear end of the channel as respects the fishing rod there isprovided a U-shaped bracket or the like 16 and mounted to swing on thison a vertical pivot is a trigger 17 conveniently made of wire. This wirehas an elastomeric handle 18 which is of plastic, rubber or the like,and it is provided with an inwardly directed slit or slot 19 which isopen at the end of the rubber or plastic handle opposite the triggermember 17. This trigger is shown in its two positions in solid anddotted lines in FIG. 1, and the slit 19 is preferably tapered.

There is a cross pin 20 mounted on the sides of the channel member nearone end, and this mounts a coil spring 21 which is wrapped around it andhas a projecting portion 22 which engages the bottom of the channelmember. This is at one end of the spring and the other end of the springis conveniently formed into a stai 23 which has on it a llag 24 or thelike.

It will be seen that the staff 23 is normally urged to its uprightposition shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 but it can be moved down againstthe tension of its spring to lie in the dotted line position where itcan be frictionally held by the pivoted trigger member 17 also shown inthis holding position in dotted lines.

The shing line is shown at 25. This line is conveniently slid into theslot 19 where it is resiliently held and the advantage of thisconstruction is that the line can be pressed as hard as may be desiredinto the slit, and the harder it is pressed in, the more diflicult it isgoing to be for the sh to pull the line from the slot.

3,221,705 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 0n the other hand, when the parts are inthe dotted line position in FIG. 1, even a light pull by a ish willcause the handle 18 to move from dotted to solid line position, thusreleasing the trigger 17 from the staff 23 and allowing the spring 21 tocause the staff 23 to become erect. Further pull releases the line fromthe handle, and the fish can run, unreelng the line.

Additional tension can be applied to this arrangement merely by bendingthe trigger 17 downwardly in such a way as to more closely engage thestaif 23. This depends on the degree of pressure of the trigger 17 onthe staff 23.

There is provided an L-shaped slot 26 in which the end of the trigger 17can be locked if it should be desired to immobilize the trigger forstorage and transportation purposes.

Also it will be seen that it is very easy to detach the line 25 from theholder handle 18 in case it is desired to use the fishing rod and linein the usual manner. It will be noted that one of the advantages of thisinvention resides in the fact that the bait can be cast in the usualmanner with the line not connected in any way with the holder 1S, butwhen the bait has been placed where desired, then it is a very simplematter for the fisherman to merely engage the line in the slit 19, andthen the device will operate as described but of course with the bait atsome distance from the rod.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A tip-up signal device adapted to be mounted directly on the shaft ofa lishing rod and comprising an elongated channel-shaped member openingupwardly, a clamp on said member for detachably mounting the same on afishing rod, a pivoted staff, means mounting said staff on saidchannel-shaped member, -spring means urging said staff to an erectposition generally at right angles to the length of said channel-shapedmember,

a pivoted trigger, means pivoting said trigger on an axis generallytransverse to the iishing rod, said trigger having a part adapted tooverlie thestaff when the staff is pivoted down against the action ofthe spring into the channel-shaped member, so that the staf is held downby friction, a handle for said trigger, and means on said handle forreleasable attachment of a fishing line thereto at the opposite side ofthe pivot of the trigger from the part thereof that overlies thespring-pressed staff, the action of the fish in taking the bait pivotingsaid trigger to a released position when the stall snaps up.

2. The tip-up signal device of claim 1 wherein the releasable attachmentmeans comprises a slot in said handle, the line being frictionaly heldin said slot or selectively removed therefrom merely by pulling on it.

3. The tip-up signal device of claim 1 wherein said releasableattachment means comprises a slit in said handle, said handle being ofan elastomeric material so that the line may be pressed into said slitwith varying pressure and held thereby to an increased or decreaseddegree.

4. The tip-up signal devicel of claim 1 wherein said releasableattachment means comprises a slit in said handle, said handle being ofan elastomeric material so that the line may be pressed into said slitwith varying pressure and held thereby to an increased or decreaseddegree, said slit being tapered.

5. The tip-up signal device of claim 1 wherein said trigger comprises awire member which is bendable in a direction to bear more or lessheavily against the sta when the staff is in its held position.

No references cited.

LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner.

1. A TIP-UP SIGNAL DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED DERECTLY ON THE SHAFT OFA FISHING ROD AND COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER OPENINGUPWARDLY, A CLAMP ON SAID MEMBER FOR DETACHABLY MOUNTING THE SAME ON AFISHING ROD, A PIVOTED STAFF, MEANS MOUNTING SAID STAFF ON SAIDCHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER, SPRING MEANS URGING SAID STAFF TO AN ERECTPOSITION GENERALLY A RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LENGTH OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPEDMEMBER, A PIVOTED TRIGGER, MEANS PIVOTING SAID TRIGGER ON AXIS GENERALLYTRANSVERSE TO THE FISHING ROD, SAID TRIGGER HAVING A PART ADAPTED TOOVERLIE THE STAFF WHEN THE STAFF IS PIVOTED DOWN AGAINST THE ACTION OFTHE SPRING INTO THE CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER, SO THAT THE STAFF IS HELDDOWN BY FRICTION, A HANDLE FOR SAID TRIGGER, AND MEANS ON SAID HANDLEFOR RELEASABLE ATTACHMENT OF A FISHING LINE THERETO AT THE OPPOSITE SIDEOF THE PIVOT OF THE TRIGGER FROM THE ART THEREOF THAT OVERLIES THESPRING-PRESSED STAFF, THE ACTION OF THE FISH IN TAKING THE BAITPROVIDING SAID TRIGGER TO A RELEASED POSITION WHEN THE STAFF SNAP UP.